Apparatus for handling chewing gum



Sept. 5, 1939. J. w. BOWMAN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CHEWING GUM OriginalFiled April '7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 5, 1939.

J. w. BOWMAN 2,171,960

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CHEWING GUM Original Filed April 7, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,171,960 APPARATUSFORHfiAliNDIJNG CHEWING Jacob Warren Bowman, Philadelphia, Pa... as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to William Stecll Jackson and Son, a. firmcomprising William Steell Jackson and Joseph Gray Jackson, Philadelphia,Pa.

Original application April '1, 1934, Serial No.

719,450. Divided and this application January 18, 1935, Serial No.2,334. Renewed December 22, 1938 6 Claims. (01. 91-4) This applicationis a division of an application filed by me April '7, 1934, Serial No.719,450, for

Methods and apparatus for handling chewing I believe I am the first toplace gum dough in a mixing or kneading machine and to cause a strand ofgum to be passed continuously from the mixing machine through a nozzle,with an electric heating element about the nozzle to heat the nozzle andthereby cause a free and easy passage of the gum through the nozzle,after which the strand of gum is passed through a sugaring device wherethe gum; is coated with sugar on an agitated platform and at the sametime moved longitudinally forward to a platform upon which the strandassumes a snake or serpentine formaion.

- The strand is then moved'forward to re-shaping rollers adjacent awrapping machine and from the re-shaping rollers to the wrapping ma.-chine properwhere the strand is cut into individual pieces.

3 I will now describe my invention'more in detail, referring tothedrawings, which are intended to be merely illustrative of onedesirable embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of mechanism which 35 may be employed inhandling chewing gum and employing my sugaring means.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of Figure 1 takenon the line 22 thereof.

.' Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of Figure 1taken on the line 3-3 thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a sugaring device used in myinvention.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-6 of Figure5.

g In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts. Y

In carrying out my invention I place chewing o gum'dough in a mixing andconditioning machine 28 from which the gum, after proper conditioning,is extruded in a circular strand 2|. The strand passes longitudinallytowards and is moved progressively forward in a sugar agitator 22 fromwhich the strand discharges in a serpentine or snake formation 23resting upon a tilted platform 24, desirably assuming a right angleposition in plan view, with respect to the mixing and sugaring devices.

The strand then passes progressively through re-shaping rollers 25 fromwhich it is moved while still warm, to a cutting device 26 where thestrand is cut into individual pieces which are wrapped, the wrap endsbeing finally twisted in a wrapping machine similar to that shown inBritish Patent No. 293,907.

I prefer to employ a mixing and extruding machine of the type shown at28,. having a hopper 21 into which a mass of cooked gum dough is placedfor proper conditioning. The strand extruded by the mixing machine isthoroughly heated, as by the nozzle 56.

After the strand of gum 2| has passed out through a heated nozzle die 56of the mixing machine, the strand will curve downwardly some distance toassume a position in the sugaring agitator 22 similar to that shown inFigure 5 in which the agitator 22 is shown in considerable detail.

The strand 2| as extruded from the mixing machine extends downwardly atI2 and upwardly at 13, at which .point the strand rests upon the forwardcurved end ll of a curved conveyor platform 15, slotted at 16. Theforward end of the platform 15 is apertured at TI for the reception of acam 18 secured to and actuated by a shaft 18 which extends transverselyto the conveyor platform 15 to a position outside the casing 88 of theagitator 22, where a pulley 8| is secured to the shaft 19. The pulley 8|is driven by a belt motor 85 mounted upon a platform 86 adjacent theagitator;

At the rear end of the agitator 22 the platform- 40 82 from a pulley 83on a shaft 84 connected to a the platform, with a space 94 between thebottom 93 and the platform. At the rear of the agitator interior, aresilient pad 95 is inserted between the agitator container and an endplate 96, to which container the pad 95 is preferably fastened.

The agitator is provided with a front wall 91 which prevents the escapeof sugar from the interior of the agitator.

Towards the front end and inside of the agitator and along the sidewalls 98 I place resilient pads 99 which extend vertically from thebottom of the agitator to the top thereof. These.pads are preferablyfastened to the side walls of the agitator. laterally due to the springsuspension of the platform, the pads will act as a buffer tohold theplatform in a longitudinal position. The pads are preferably made offelt.

Other resilient pads I00 are positioned adjacent the stop 91 to aid inkeeping the platform longitudinally in line. I

A brush IN is fastened in a support I02 and is attached to the agitatorside walls with the bristles of the brush extending outwardly to engagethe strand of chewing gum as it is passed through the sugaring machine.

The platform is shown in the form of a trough with sides I03 which helpto guide the strand as it travels through the sugaring machine.

Sugar is placed in the agitator interior to rest on the bottom I04 ofthe agitator below and above the platform I5.

The platform is agitated by the action of the cam 18 on the cam shaft 19through the pulleys and belt, which are motor driven. As the cam turnsit will move the platform up and down, at the same time the cam willtend to -move the strand forwardly. The movement forward will be aidedsomewhat by the pushing forward of the strand when the um is extrudedfrom the mixer. The movement of the platform either up and down orforwardly agitates the sugar I05 in the container to cause the sugar toform in effect a cloud, which will dust about the strand on the platformand through the slots in the platform, tocause the particles of sugar toadhere to the gum strand which is susceptible to adhesion of suchparticles as the gum is still warm from its heating'for the extrusionoperation.

The brush IOI removes the surplus sugar from the strand as the strand ispassed from the agitator onto the platform 24. The platform 24 hasupwardly turned edges 24" surrounding the entire platform excepting atthe entrance I06 and the exit I01, thereby preventing the strand fromfalling off the platform.

After the strand has moved from the agitator onto the platform itassumes a snake or serpentine formation thereon and this snake formationallows for differences in timing of the different devices used in myinvention and accommodates for the travel of the strand as it is passedfrom one device to another. The curving of the strand also allows forits cooling sufiiciently for re-shaping, cutting and wrapping ashereinafter described. On leaving the platform 24, the strand passesbetween guides 242 at the exit of the platform.

The strand now passes through laterally adjustable guide members I08,then through a set of horizontal rollers I09, through'verticallydisposed sets of rollers I I0, and on through other sets of horizontalrollers III and I I2. The horizontal rollers I09, III and H2 and thevertical rollers H0 are spaced along a table H3 which If the platformshould tend to move supports the strand from one set of rollers to thenext, until the strand reaches the knife 26. The motor-driven sprocketH4 drives the sprocket H5 by the chain H5. The driven sprocket H5 is onthe shaft H6, which carries a bevel gear H1, engaging a bevel gear H8 onthe same shaft as one of the vertical rollers I I0. The other verticalroller H0 is driven by the gears H9 and I20 connecting the verticalrollers II 0. On the shaft H6 a second sprocket I2I drives one of thehorizontal rollers I09 by a chain I22 connecting to a sprocket I23 onthe same shaft as one of the horizontal rollers I 09. The horizontalrollers I09 are interconnected by gears I24 and I25. To adjust the sizeof the strand, the sets of rollers I09, H0, III and H2 are changed. Theguide members I08 may be adjusted by loosening the screws I26.

After the strand is cut by the rotating knife 26, the individual piecesare moved forwardly by a pusher I21 to come in contact with a continuousstrip supply of paper I 28 from over a roll I29 hung from springs I29positioned in front of a slot 130 in a recessed drum I3I on a drum shaftI32 which is controlled by a Geneva wheel (not shown).

After the individual piece of gum is brought to a position within thepaper I26 in one of the recesses of the drum, a pair of scissors I33 areoperated to cut an individual wrap of paper I from the paper strip.

The drum is rotated to cause the gum that has been partially coveredwith an individual wrap to be moved to a position 180 away from thepoint of insertion within the drum where twisters I35 engage the ends ofthe wrap to twist in and allowed to escape from the platform and a dustof sugar is formed about the strand.

2. In a sugar agitator for sugaring and conditioning a strand of chewinggum, a casing having an interior, curved in longitudinal vertical planeand adapted to receive powdered sugar, a, platform having a transverselyserrated bottom, a resilient support for one end of the platformpermitting that end to swing about the center and to move forward andback and cam means for lifting the platformand drawing it forward withreturn at a lower level whereby the strand is progressed through a cloudof sugar.

3. An agitating device for applying sugar to a strand of heated gum asit is being extruded,

a casing adapted to contain the sugar to be applied, a movable platformhaving openings in the bottom located within the casing and adapted toafford support to the strand-in combination with means for agitating theplatform, moving it forward positively at the front end in line with'the direction of extrusion and intermediately shifting the platformbackward against the direction of movement of the extruding strand andresilient support for the rear of the platform providing formodification of the agitating movement of the platform by the resilienceof the rear support.

4. A sugaring device for a strand of heated chewing gum, comprising acasing adapted to hold sugar, a movable platform within the easing openat the bottom to allow passage of sugar and means for vibrating theplatform.

5. In a sugaring device for a strand of heated chewing gum, a casingadapted to hold sugar, a platform adapted to lie partly within the sugarin the casing, vertically slitted in transverse planes and means forlifting and lowering the platform and moving it at an angle to theslits.

6. In mechanism for handling and sweetening a travelling strand ofchewing gum, means for shaking the travelling strand transverse to thestrand and a holder for sugar within which the strand is shaken.

JACOB WARREN BOWMAN.

